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Amazon Prime Video’s A League of Their Own, HBO’s White Lotus, and Universal Pictures’ Bros took home some of the top prizes at this year’s GLAAD Media Awards in a ceremony at The Beverly Hilton in Los Angeles on Thursday night.
With nearly 300 nominees across 33 categories, this year’s GLAAD Media Awards is the 34th of its kind, honoring media that provide fair, accurate, and inclusive LGBTQ+ representation and covering issues that affect our lives. The Los Angeles event is the first of two ceremonies, and was held amidst rising anti-LGBTQ+ — and particularly, anti-trans — attacks.
The event was kicked off by Jennifer Coolidge and Jane Lynch, and was hosted by Margaret Cho, with special performances by Orville Peck and FLETCHER.
Big Wins at the GLAAD Media Awards
Amazon Prime’s ‘A League of Their Own’ Wins Outstanding New TV Series
A League of Their Own, created by Will Graham and Abbi Jacobson, is a reimagining of the 1992 classic film and follows All-American professional women’s baseball league players during World War II as they navigate identity, relationships, and a rapidly changing world for women.
The show stars Jacobson as Carson Shaw, the Rockford Peaches’ catcher whose life is changed when she meets — and falls for — first basewoman Greta Gill, played by a dreamy D’Arcy Carden. It also centers Chanté Adams as Max Chapman, a talented pitcher who struggles to find her team in a world that doesn’t seem to have a place for her.
A League of Their Own’s fantastic ensemble cast also includes Gbemisola Ikumelo as Clance Morgan, Roberta Colindrez as Lupe García, Kelly McCormack as Jess McCready; Priscilla Delgado as Esti González, Molly Ephraim as Maybelle Fox, Melanie Field as Jo DeLuca, and Kate Berlant as Shirley Cohen.
The win comes at an especially crucial time for A League of Their Own fans, who are hoping that Amazon Prime Video would rethink a leaked plan to knee-cap its own show with a shortened and final second season, which would comprise just four episodes.
Fans have thus far flown a plane, sent conversation pies (a reference to Carson in the show), and made every effort to make noise on Twitter for the #MoreThanFour campaign.
When showrunner Will Graham went on stage to receive the award — alongside no less than the 95-year-old consultant and living legend Maybelle Blair, who came out during the show’s press tour, and trans actor Lea Robinson, who plays Max’s trans Uncle Bertie — he made sure to highlight how this was not a struggle A League of Their Own faces alone.
Nominated alongside shows like Disney’s Willow and Peacock’s Queer as Folk, which have met a premature end at the hands of TV executives, Graham said, “It would be strange to accept this award without commenting on the fact that this show is one of the lucky ones, and that so many of the shows that were nominated in this category have been canceled or quietly canceled, and that mirrors what’s happening with queer stories across our society and in our classrooms.”
“It should not be this hard,” he continued. “I hope that all of us on this stage and all of us in this room can say to our industry that we are the audience that is growing. We are not a niche anymore; there’s way too many of us,” he continued. “We are here, our lives matter, our joy matters, and we will remember who stood with us and who stood back at this crucial moment in our history.”
The Nominees for Outstanding New TV Series
- A League of Their Own (Prime Video) – Winner
- Anne Rice’s Interview with the Vampire (AMC)
- Heartbreak High (Netflix)
- High School (Amazon Freevee)
- Our Flag Means Death (HBO Max)
- Queer as Folk (Peacock)
- The Rookie: Feds (ABC)
- The Sandman (Netflix)
- Somebody Somewhere (HBO)
- Willow (Disney+)
HBO Max’s ‘The White Lotus’ Hailed as Outstanding Limited or Anthology Series
HBO Max’s The White Lotus follows the guests of the fictional White Lotus resort chain, with the acclaimed second season set in Sicily.
Like its predecessor, the second installment of the anthology series featured sharp social commentary, a talented ensemble cast, and meticulously layered comedy-drama plot lines. The show opens with a dead body, the identity of which is revealed only at the end.
This year’s batch of privileged hotel guests include Jennifer Coolidge’s Tanya McQuoid from the first season, alongside new husband Greg (Jon Gries). She brings her personal assistant, Haley Lu Richardson’s Portia, along for the ride, too.
Rounding out the stellar cast of guests is F. Murray Abraham as Bert Di Grasso, The Sopranos’ Michael Imperioli as Dominic Di Grasso, Adam DiMarco as Albie Di Grasso, Theo James as Cameron Sullivan, Meghann Fahy as Daphne Sullivan, Will Sharpe as Ethan Spiller, Aubrey Plaza as Harper Spiller, Simona Tabasco as Lucia Greco, and Beatrice Grannò as Mia.
Across seven deliciously shot and paced episodes, the guests stay under the watchful eye of hotel manager Valentina, played by Sabrina Impacciatore.
The first season of The White Lotus premiered in July 2021, originally as a six-part limited series. Critical acclaim and high ratings led to the second season, which premiered in October 2022 and was awarded by GLAAD on Thursday night for its gloriously messy LGBTQ+ representation. The series has since been renewed for a third season.
The Nominees for Outstanding Limited or Anthology Series
- American Horror Story: NYC (FX)
- The Best Man: The Final Chapters (Peacock)
- The Ignorant Angels (Hulu)
- Welcome to Chippendales (Hulu)
- The White Lotus (HBO) – Winner
Universal Pictures’ ‘Bros’ Takes Home the Outstanding Film – Wide Release Award
Queer people deserve rom-coms too, and Universal Pictures delivers a charming one with their 2022 film Bros. Directed by Nicholas Stoller based on a screenplay he co-wrote with Billy Eichner, the movie stars Eichner and Luke Macfarlane, two gay men in New York City who don’t seem to want – or, really, know how — to have a committed relationship.
One of the first gay rom-coms from a major studio, the film was produced by Stoller, Josh Church, and Judd Apatow.
More importantly, it features an entirely LGBTQ+ principal cast. Alongside Eichner’s Bobby Lieber and Macfarlane’s Aaron Shepard are Guy Branum as Henry, Miss Lawrence as Wanda, Ts Madison as Angela, Dot-Marie Jones as Cherry, Jim Rash as Robert, Eve Lindley as Tamara, Monica Raymund as Tina, and Guillermo Díaz as Edgar.
Overall, Bros is a funny, smart, and self-aware gay rom-com that hopefully ushers in more from the industry’s biggest studios.
The Nominees for Outstanding Film – Wide Release
- A Man Called Otto (Sony Pictures)
- Bodies Bodies Bodies (A24)
- Bros (Universal Pictures) – Winner
- Everything Everywhere All at Once (A24)
- Lightyear (Pixar)
- Nope (Universal Pictures)
- Scream (Paramount Pictures)
- Spoiler Alert (Focus Features)
- Strange World (Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures)
- Tár (Focus Features)
Bad Bunny, Christina Aguilera, and Jeremy Pope Also Received Awards
Aside from TV shows, movies, musicians, and publications, Thursday’s awarding ceremonies also honored Bad Bunny, Christina Aguilera, and Jeremy Pope with special awards.
Bad Bunny, GLAAD Vanguard Awardee
Every year, GLAAD presents the Vanguard Award to a member of the entertainment community who, though not identifying as LGBTQ+, has made a difference in promoting LGBTQ+ rights. This year, that person is Bad Bunny.
The most streamed artist over the last three years, Bad Bunny has used his platform to showcase queer love; paid homage to Alexa Negrón Luciano, a trans woman who was murdered in Toa Baja; and helped inspire a movement that forced a corrupt and anti-LGBTQ+ governor to resign.
“I don’t do anything expecting an award, I don’t do music for an award, I don’t do videos, my appearance [for an award],” Bad Bunny said. “I believe that when you have a good heart and you give love, that’s what you receive back, and that’s what I’ve wanted to do all this time with my music, with what I represent, with my space, with my concerts, with my shows, with all I do, that’s all I want to do: Give and receive love.”
Sarah Kate Ellis, GLAAD President & CEO, highlighted how the Puerto Rican artist has shone a light on LGBTQ+ issues, particularly those of trans women of color. “Bad Bunny redefines the positive influence Latin music artists can have within the LGBTQ community, and has set an example for all artists,” Ellis said.
Previous honorees include Britney Spears, Beyoncé & Jay-Z, Taylor Swift, and Kacey Musgraves.
Christina Aguilera, Advocate for Change Awardee
The Advocate for Change Award, last presented to Madonna in 2019, is given to individuals who have changed the game for LGBTQ+ people around the world. On Thursday, Club Q shooting survivor Michael Anderson presented it to Christina Aguilera.
One of the most successful artists in history, Aguilera has used her music to call for LGBTQ+ acceptance and advance LGBTQ+ rights. In 2002, she dedicated her single Beautiful to the queer community, before raising more than $500 million for HIV research two years later.
She has shared her stage with trans talent and drag artists, and supported non-profits like TransTech and TransLash. Last year, she also publicly condemned Florida’s Don’t Say Gay Law.
“Having grown up in a home with domestic violence, it was seeing my mom in a powerless position that first ignited the fire in me to speak up for all of the people whose voices don’t get heard,” Aguilera said. “We all need to raise our voices if we want to live in a world that’s free of discrimination, hate and violence.”
Jeremy Pope, Stephen F. Kolzak Awardee
Last but not least is the Stephen F. Kolzak award, named after the Los Angeles casting director who, throughout his tragically short life, made it his goal to fight homophobia and HIV-related stigma. The award is presented to an LGBTQ+ media professional who has made a difference in promoting acceptance of queer people and raising visibility on our issues.
This year’s awardee is Jeremy Pope, a gay film, TV, and stage actor with several big award nominations under his belt: two from the Tony Awards, one from the Grammys, one from the Emmys, and one from the Golden Globe Awards. His most recent role was in Elegance Bratton’s directorial debut The Inspection, where he played Ellis French, a closeted Black gay man at a Marine Corps boot camp in the “Don’t Ask Don’t Tell” era.
Having received the Stephen F. Kolzak Award from costar Gabrielle Union, Pope said, “We know that we are targeted, our trans brothers and sisters; our rights seem to be at stake and at times I find my heart wrestling with this idea of ‘How do I know that is going to be okay?’ But it’s rooms like this that remind me of the power of this community, the power of love, how we will rise time and time again for each other.”
Previous Stephen F. Kolzak Award recipients include Laverne Cox, Troye Sivan,Sean Hayes, Janet Mock, and Michaela Jaé Rodriguez.
Full List: Winners of This Year’s GLAAD Media Awards, So Far
- Outstanding New TV Series: A League of Their Own (Prime Video)
- Outstanding Comedy Series: What We Do in The Shadows (FX)
- Outstanding Film – Wide Release: Bros (Universal Pictures)
- Outstanding Documentary: Framing Agnes (Kino Lorber)
- Outstanding Film – Limited Release: The Inspection (A24)
- Outstanding Music Artist: FLETCHER, Girl of My Dreams (Capitol Records)
- Outstanding Limited or Anthology Series: The White Lotus (HBO Max)
- Outstanding Comic Book: Poison Ivy, by G. Willow Wilson, Marcio Takara, Atagun Ilhan, Brian Level, Stefano Gaudiano, Jay Leisten, Arif Prianto, Ivan Plascencia, Hassan Otsmane-Elhaou (DC Comics)
- Outstanding Original Graphic Novel/Anthology: Young Men in Love (A Wave Blue World)
- Outstanding Children’s Programming: “Adoptasaurus Rex” Dino Ranch (Disney Junior)
- Outstanding Magazine Overall Coverage: The Advocate
- Outstanding Spanish-Language Scripted Television Series: Los Espookys (HBO)
- Outstanding Spanish-Language TV Journalism: “Vico Ortiz” Primer Impacto (Univision)
- Barbara Gittings Award for Excellence in LGBTQ Media: Los Angeles Blade and Washington Blade
- Special Recognitions: Alejandra Caraballo, Drag Story Hour, Rothaniel (HBO), #Letters4TransKids, The Lesbian Bar Project
- Special Recognition (Spanish-Language): “En Sus Palabras” (Univision)
The winners of the remaining 18 of this year’s 33 categories will be announced at the second ceremony, this time in New York, on May 13. The show will be available to stream on Hulu starting Wednesday, April 12.
